Jeannette Rankin, Republican member of Congress from Montana, and first woman representative elected in the United States, is seen standing with women's suffrage movement activists in Chicago, Illinois, just before America's entry into World War 1. The leading slate mentions her forthcoming participation in a special session of Congress (referring to the Joint Session of Congress on April 2, when President Wilson will ask for a declaration of war against Germany). Rankin holds a bouquet of flowers and stands with another woman wearing a large corsage of flowers. A dozen women suffragists stand behind them (also sometimes called suffragettes). The building behind seems to be a hotel, containing several mirrored doors. Several men passersby walk past the camera while it photographing the group. Jeannette Rankin moves forward and another woman helps her to step into a vehicle (unseen).
Film notes 35th anniversary of Wright Brothers' first flight and reviews history of transportation and advances in transportation brought about by railroad and aircraft. An animated map of the United states before the advent of mechanized transport methods. It illustrates the difficult and long overland journey to travel from the East Coast to the West Coast. Travel by horse and wagon over the Santa Fe Trail in 1849 is recreated in a brief film clip. Next, a locomotive is shown pulling a passenger train at high speed along a railroad at the base of a mountain. Animated map charts fairly direct path from Coast to Coast, taking only 4 days by railroad. Next a nearly straight course is traced across the map illustrating the path of an airplane taking only seven and a half hours for the journey. Change of scene shows aerial view of Howard Hughes' Lockheed 14 Super Electra Special, Model 14-N2 ( NX18973), christened "New York World's Fair 1939," in flight over New York harbor with the skyline of Manhattan, New York City in the background. Camera follows the plane as it passes over lower Manhattan. The Empire State building is seen prominently with other skyscrapers below the aircraft. This was filmed, on July 14, 1938, as Hughes and his crew were returning from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Floyd Bennett Field, on Long Island, at the conclusion of their around-the-world flight (circling the Northern Hemisphere) from July 10 - July 14, 1938.
Chronicling history of early flight. A German motorless glider early aircraft is launched from atop a hill and flies over bystanders on a field. Short history of the Wright Brothers flights at Kitty Hawk is given, showing planes, hangar, and living quarters for the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina during 1903 to 1908 period. Footage of successful flightby Wilbur Wright in Le Mans France on August 8, 1908. People watch from grandstand as plane flies. Newspaper headlines detail success in Le Mans. Front page of "The North American" is shown with headline "Wright Glides in Air as a Hawk; flies 2.17 Miles in 106 Seconds!"
Opening scene shows large group of retired Air Force officers seated at a number of tables in the Bolling Air Force Base Officers' Club. Closeups of General Carl Spaatz, Lieutenant General Ira Eaker, Lieutenant General James Ferguson (Deputy chief of staff for research and development at Headquarters Air Force), and Major Sidney J. Kubesch (who, in October 1963, was aircraft commander of the B-58 bomber that set a speed record, flying 8,028 miles from Tokyo to London in 8 hours, 35 minutes and 20.4 seconds). Old time aviators, Colonel Harry Halverson and aviation mechanic, Sergeant Roy Hooe, who both flew on the Question Mark, are also seen. Closeup of a model B-58 Hustler bomber sitting on a luncheon table. Closeup of a model of the Fokker C-2A "Question Mark" next to old log book. ( This clip also shows two unidentified women participating in the luncheon.)
A large group of retired Air Force officers are seen seated at a number of tables during a luncheon celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1929 endurance record setting flight of the Fokker C-2A aircraft named "Question Mark." The event is in the Bolling Air Force Base Officers' Club. Closeup of General Carl Spaatz, addressing the group from a podium. Colonel Harry Halverson and aviation mechanic, Sergeant Roy Hooe, who both flew on the Question Mark, are listening, along with Major Sidney J. Kubesch (who,in October 1963, was aircraft commander on the B-58 bomber that set a speed record, flying 8,028 miles from Tokyo to London in 8 hours, 35 minutes and 20.4 seconds). Lieutenant General Ira Eaker addresses the group next. Closeup of him and of General Spaatz tilting his head to hear. The audience applauding. Sergeant Roy Hooe then addresses the group. The clip ends as the luncheon ends and the participants socialize.
General Carl Spaatz, Colonel Harry Halverson, and General Ira Eaker, seat themselves on a couch in the Officer's Club at Bolling Air Force Base, during a gathering of retired Air Force officers celebrating the 35th anniversary of the 1929 record-setting endurance flight by Air Force crews, of the Fokker C-2A airplane named "question mark." Closeup of them conversing. Closeup of aviation mechanic, Sergeant Roy Hooe, who flew on the Question Mark. Major General Brooke Allen (Commander of Headquarters Command at Bolling AFB) holds a model of the "Question Mark" and discusses it with the others. View of the 5 men seated around a cocktail table discussing the 1929 endurance flight.
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